mocosocoBirds

Glenhurst Meadows

Black-crowned Night-Heron (photo by Chris Thomas)

A juvenile Black-crowned Night-Heron (BCNH) was found at Glenhurst Meadows this morning. This is the first eBird record for BCNH not only for Glenhurst Meadows but for the region between Watchung and the Great Swamp. Obviously, other birders in the past have had them in this area, but if it isn’t part of the eBird database, who will ever know. Other species present were Blue-headed Vireo, 11 warbler species, 7 sparrow species including Vesper Sparrow, 5 Red-headed Woodpeckers, etc. (Jeff Ellerbusch, Simon Lane).

Troy Meadows

A wave of migrants came through the mist at Troy Meadows this morning. More species were probably missed than tallied. The warbler list includes Northern Parula, Tennessee, Magnolia, Black-throated Blue and Palm Warblers. A Gray-cheeked Thrush was with American Robins at the area known as Pine Island. 5 Red-headed Woodpeckers were in various places in the vicinity of Troy Meadows Road (4 juveniles, 1 adult. Thursday, there were 5 adults and 1 juvenile). Any number given for Yellow-rumped Warblers is underestimating – they are everywhere. Red-winged Blackbirds were seen in their largest numbers of the season.

ID photo of a Gray-cheeked Thrush, Troy Meadows, NJ, Oct. 5, 2013 (digiscoped by Jonathan Klizas).

Parsippany

The juvenile Black-crowned Night-Heron has also made it into October, joining the Yellow-crowned Night-Heron at Jefferson Road Pond, Parsippany. A Rusty Blackbird was also on the grounds. (Julie Buechner). The Black-crowned was absent for a while, or as Julie says, it is “probably there more often but difficult to spot.”

Other Field Notes

A late female Ruby-throated Hummingbird visited the feeder at Simon Lane’s house today.

From Susan Treesh:
For the field notes – 100 Savannah Sparrows at Negri-Nepote today, plus dozens of Palm Warblers (in fields continguous to N-N. The fields at Negri have been mowed, so I suppose many sparrows will move on. Butler Road Environmental area had a pair of Blue-headed Vireos, 6 R-c Kinglets, and many of the regulars. Also, I should probably mention a Common Raven too, at Negri, the first I’ve observed in some time.

A late-in-the-season Common Nighthawk was seen at Tilcon Lake in the Waterloo Valley Road section of Mt. Olive Twp. late today (Jamie Glydon). It was harassed by a Merlin and an American Kestrel before disappearing from view. Also in the area were 21 Palm Warblers, Savannah Sparrows, Ruby-crowned Kinglets and an Eastern Phoebe.

Interestingly, 2 Common Nighthawks were eBirded from Troy Meadows late today. 4 Red-headed Woodpeckers were also reported (Mike Ostrow).

The Yellow-crowned Night-Heron of Jefferson Road Pond, Parsippany continues.

(Photo by Julie Buechner).

Finderne Wetlands had 90 Savannah Sparrows, 50 Song, 30 Swamp and 12 White-throated Sparrows, 27 Bobolinks, 350 Red-winged Blackbirds, etc. (Jeff Ellerbusch).

From Vicki Schwartz this morning by the community garden at Duke Farms:
Had a Nashville Warbler with a bunch of Palms and Co. Yellowthroats in the goldenrod near the community garden. Also, a Peregrine Falcon perched on a tree across the road. Lots of Savannah Sparrows, a Swamp, and other usual species.

Glenhurst Meadows continues to be the birding hotspot of northern Somerset County. A Vesper Sparrow continues at the Wagner Arboretum area. 30 Tree Swallows with 1 Barn Swallow were evening flyovers. 9 warbler species and a growing numbers of sparrows were present in the afternoon along with the usual 4 Red-headed Woodpeckers (Jeff Ellerbusch).

Finderne Wetlands had Solitary Sandpipers (3), Killdeer, Lesser Yellowlegs, Green-winged Teal, and a variety of sparrows today (Jeff Ellerbusch). A modest count of 20 Savannah Sparrows was tallied but remember that one of the highest counts in 2012 in the state, 200, occurred at Finderne on October 20.

6 Red-headed Woodpeckers were easy to find on Troy Meadows Road by the skeet shoot debris. Yellow-rumped Warblers are numerous in Morris County at this time.